FAITH CAPSULE: Material gain is not a purpose in following Jesus.

Luke 9:57-62

The cost of discipleship is to follow Jesus at all cost. Following Him is not to flow with the crowd but a departure to the other side. When we follow Jesus, we should not just follow by the word of the mouth but by our walk in the word of God. Cost of discipleship means nothing should come between us and our going after the business of the kingdom. Material gain is not the purpose of following Jesus. It is written, “Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” (Luke 9:57-58) The man that volunteered to follow Jesus without any condition failed to count the cost. The man must have been coming with emotion. His desire to follow must have been rooted in his feelings. Following with feelings would never be strong enough to sustain the challenges of following Him. The Bible recorded, “Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.””(Luke 9:59) In following Him there should be no excuse whatsoever between His calling and accepting to follow. In the midst of His calling for one to follow and one volunteering to follow, another one approached Jesus “And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” (Luke 9:61) Jesus knows the end from the beginning. He sees our heart and exactly our stand in our claim as Christian. He responded to the last one, “But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.””(Luke 9:62) As an acclaimed Christian, a born-again believer, how are you following Him? Are you following with conditions or unconditionally? It is the evidence of understanding to know and to follow Him fully. To make a choice and not follow Jesus fully is evidence of wandering from the way of understanding. Proverbs 21:16 pointed out, “A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead.” Jesus said let the dead bury his dead. Will you think it over and let the dead bury the dead? Will you put aside your needs and know that there will be a time to bare farewell to your house? In following Him fully there will be tests of time but you will rest at all time with victory on your side. Jesus will never fail you.

Prayer for today: Ask the good God for the grace to follow Him fully.